Produce container

ABSTRACT

A produce container  10  includes a receptacle  12  which defines an access opening  14.  The access opening  14  is circumscribed by a rim  16.  A plurality of lid portions  20  are arranged about the access opening  14  of the receptacle  12.  Each lid portion  20  is movable relative to the receptacle  12  between an open position and a closed position such that, when each lid portion  20  is in its open position, produce can be placed into or removed from the receptacle  12  and, when the lid portions  20  are in their closed position, the access opening  14  is substantially covered. The produce container includes an engaging arrangement  30  which includes a plurality of projections  32  carried on at least one of the receptacle  12  and the lid portions  20.  The arrangement  30  is such that at least when each lid portion  20  is in its closed position, each projection  32  extends substantially at right angles to a plane in which the access opening  14  lies. The engaging arrangements includes at least one complementary formation  34  associated with at least one of the projections  32  and carried on the other of the receptacle  12  and the lid portions  20  so that, when each lid portion  20  is in its closed position, the projections  32  and the at least one complementary formation  34  engage to inhibit lateral movement of the lid portion  20  relative to the receptacle  12  in a plane substantially parallel to the plane in which the access opening  14  lies

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2009902078 filed on 11 May 2009, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to packaging containers. More particularly, the invention relates to a produce container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, there is provided a produce container which includes a receptacle which defines an access opening, the access opening being circumscribed by a rim; a plurality of lid portions arranged about the access opening of the receptacle, each lid portion being movable relative to the receptacle between an open position and a closed position such that, when each lid portion is in its open position, produce can be placed into or removed from the receptacle and, when the lid portions are in their closed position, the access opening is substantially covered; and an engaging arrangement including a plurality of projections carried on at least one of the receptacle and the lid portions, each projection extending substantially at right angles to a plane in which the access opening lies, and at least one complementary formation associated with at least one of the projections and carried on the other of the receptacle and the lid portions so that, when each lid portion is in its closed position, the projections and the at least one complementary formation engage to inhibit lateral movement of the lid portion relative to the receptacle in a plane substantially parallel to the plane in which the access opening lies.

It will be appreciated that in the case where the projections are carried on the lid portions, each projection extends substantially at right angles to a plane in which the access opening lies when the lid portions are in their closed positions.

The projections may be carried on the receptacle and at least one complementary formation may be associated with each projection. The complementary formations may be carried by each lid portion.

The receptacle may define a plurality of spaced platforms. Each projection may extend from each platform.

Each complementary formation may comprise a socket defined in the lid portion. Each projection may be received in its associated socket when the lid portions are in their closed position.

The receptacle may have corners and the platforms may be arranged at each corner and may be recessed with respect to the rim.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of a produce container is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a produce container, with each lid portion in a closed position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the produce container, with each lid portion in an open position;

FIG. 3 is a is a plan view of the produce container with each lid portion in the open position; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the produce container with each lid portion in the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

In the figures, reference numeral 10 generally designates an exemplary embodiment of a produce container. The produce container 10 includes a receptacle 12 which defines an access opening 14. The access opening 14 is circumscribed by a rim 16.

The produce container 10 includes two lid portions 20 which are arranged on opposite sides of the access opening 14 of the receptacle 12. Each lid portion 20 is movable relative to the receptacle 12 between an open position and a closed position such that, when each lid portion 20 is in its open position (FIG. 2), produce (not shown) can be placed into or removed from the receptacle 12 and, when each of the lid portions 20 is in its closed position (FIG. 1), the access opening 14 is substantially covered.

Each lid portion 20 includes a planar part 22. The planar part 22 terminates at a free edge 24 of the lid portion 20. When the lid portions 20 are in their closed position the planar parts 22 lie in a plane substantially parallel to a plane in which the access opening 14 lies and the free edges 24 are in alignment and may abut. The planar part 22 of each lid portion 20 stands proud of the rim 16 when the lid portion 20 is in the closed position.

Each lid portion 20 is hinged to the rim 16 via a hinge 28 such that each lid portion 20 can pivot between its open and closed positions.

The receptacle 12 and lid portions 20 are moulded as a one-piece construction.

The produce container 10 includes an engaging arrangement 30 which includes projections 32 carried on the receptacle 12 and a plurality of complementary formations in the form of sockets 34 carried on the lid portions 20.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the receptacle 12 defines four spaced platforms 36, one at each corner 38 of the receptacle 12. The platforms 36 are recessed with respect to the rim 16. A projection 32 extends from each platform 36 substantially at right angles with respect to the plane in which the access opening 14 lies.

In this embodiment, there is one socket 34 associated with each projection 32, with each lid portion 20 having two sockets 34. When a lid portion 20 is in its closed position, the projections 32 are received in their associated sockets 34 so that the projections 32 and the sockets 34 engage to inhibit lateral movement of the lid portions 20 relative to the receptacle 14 in a plane substantially parallel to the plane in which the access opening 14 lies.

The produce container 10 includes a stiffening formation 40 associated with each lid portion 20. The rim 16 of the receptacle 12 defines a shoulder 41 against which the stiffening formation 40 bears when each lid portion 20 is in its closed position to inhibit flexing of the associated lid portion 20 when the lid portions 20 are in their closed position. The stiffening formation 40 does not extend along the free edge 24 of the lid portion 20. By not including the stiffening formation 40 along the free edge 24 an internal volume defined by the receptacle 12 is maximised when the lid portions 20 are in their closed position. Maximising the internal volume allows for the greatest amount of produce to be packed into the receptacle 12.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, reinforcing ribs 42 are formed across corners 44 of the stiffening formation 40 closest to the hinges 22. Each reinforcing rib 42 defines a complementary bearing surface 46 which bears against the platform 36 of the receptacle 12 when the lid portions 20 are in their closed position. Thus, the stiffening formations 40 and the reinforcing ribs 42 together define the sockets 26 into which the projections 32 are received when the lid portions 20 are in their closed position. The ribs 42 further improve the structural rigidity of the lid portions 20. Further, by having the ribs 42 bear against the platforms 36 of the receptacle, the crush resistance of the container 10 to a force applied from above is improved.

In use, the lid portions 20 are pivoted to their open positions and produce is placed into the receptacle 12. The lid portions 20 are then pivoted to their closed positions with the projections 32 being received in their associated sockets 34. As the projections 32 and the sockets 34 are engaged when each lid portion 20 is in its closed position, lateral movement of the lid portions 20 relative to the receptacle 12 in a plane substantially parallel to the plane in which the access opening 14 lies is inhibited. To disengage the projections 32 and the sockets 34, each lid portion 20 is pivoted about the hinge 28 to its open position.

In order to ship containers 10, a plurality of containers 10 are stacked into a carton (not shown) such that a number of containers 10 are stacked one on top of the other. The base 26 of one container 10 sits on the planar parts 22 of another container 10. The weight of a container 10 which sits on another container 10 acts to force the stiffening formation 40 against the shoulder 41 of the rim 16 and the stiffening formations 40 support the lid portions 20 against the weight and inhibit flexing of the lid portions 20. It will be appreciated that the lid portions 20 will flex to some degree but not to an extent that packed produce will be severely damaged.

In addition, the weight of a container 10 which sits on another container 10 also acts to maintain the planar parts 22 in a plane substantially parallel to the plane in which the access opening lies and to inhibit movement of the free edges 24 of the lid portions away from the receptacle 12. Therefore, the weight also acts to maintain the engagement of the projections 32 in their associated sockets 34.

In addition to the weight of one or more containers 10 stacked one on top of the other bearing downward on containers 10 positioned lower in a stack, during transportation of a carton, lateral movement of the containers within the carton relative to each other can also occur. The weight of laterally moving containers 10 results in lateral forces being applied to the lid portions 20 of lower stacked containers. However, the engagement of the projections 32 and the sockets 34 helps to counter these forces to inhibit lateral movement of the lid portions with respect to the receptacle in the plane in which the access opening lies.

In addition, when the lid portions 20 are in their closed position, a label (not shown) may be adhered to the planar parts 22 of the lid portions 20 over the aligned free edges 24 of the lid portions 20. The label acts as a tamper-evident device as the label must be removed or torn in order to pivot the lid portions 20 to their open position and disengage the projections 32 and the sockets 34.

In the above described embodiments, the complementary formation is in the form of a socket 34 defined by the stiffening formation 40 and the rib 42. However, the present invention is not limited to this arrangement. For example, the complementary formation may be an aperture between the stiffening formation 40 and the rib 42, with the projection 32 projecting through the aperture when the lid portion is in its closed position. In one embodiment, the corner portions of the stiffening formation 40 are absent and a rib having a complementary bearing surface (as in the embodiment described above) is received between the projection 32 and the rim 16 to engage the projection and inhibit lateral movement of the lid portion 22 when the lid portion is in its closed position.

In the embodiment described above, the projections 32 are carried on the receptacle 12 and the complementary formations 34 are defined by the lid portions 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this arrangement. For example, the arrangement described in the above embodiment may be reversed with the projections being carried on the lid portions and the complementary formations being carried on the receptacle. In one such embodiment, the lid portions define a plurality of spaced platforms with a projection extending from each platform. Each projection extends substantially at right angles to a plane in which the access opening lies at least when each lid portion is in its closed position. In addition, the rim of the receptacle defines the complementary formations. The rim defines a receiving formation such as a socket which receives the projections when the lid portions are in their closed positions.

In one embodiment, the complementary formation is the rim of the receptacle which engages at least one projection carried on each lid portion. For example, the rim of the receptacle is received in a channel defined between the at least one projection and another structure on each lid portion space from the at least one projection.

In the above-described embodiment, the projections 32 are carried on the corners 38 of the receptacle 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this arrangement. For example, the projections may be carried on the rim of the receptacle and the complementary formations (such as, sockets, recesses, openings, or the like) may be defined in the stiffening formation or in the planar part of each lid portion. As the projections extend substantially at right angles to the plane in which the access opening lies, at least when the each lid portion is in its closed position, and the complementary formations engage the projections, lateral movement of the lid portions relative to the receptacle in the plane in which the access opening lies is inhibited.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. 

1. A produce container which includes: a receptacle which defines an access opening, the access opening being circumscribed by a rim; a plurality of lid portions arranged about the access opening of the receptacle, each lid portion being movable relative to the receptacle between an open position and a closed position such that, when each lid portion is in its open position, produce can be placed into or removed from the receptacle and, when the lid portions are in their closed position, the access opening is substantially covered; and an engaging arrangement including: a plurality of projections carried on at least one of the receptacle and the lid portions, each projection extending substantially at right angles to a plane in which the access opening lies, and at least one complementary formation associated with at least one of the projections and carried on the other of the receptacle and the lid portions so that, when each lid portion is in its closed position, the projections and the at least one complementary formation engage to inhibit lateral movement of the lid portions relative to the receptacle in a plane substantially parallel to the plane in which the access opening lies.
 2. The produce container of claim 1, wherein the projections are carried on the receptacle and at least one complementary formation is associated with each projection, the complementary formations being carried by each lid portion.
 3. The produce container of claim 2, wherein the receptacle defines a plurality of spaced platforms, a projection extending from each platform.
 4. The produce container of claim 3, in which each complementary formation comprises a socket defined in the lid portion, each projection being received in its associated socket when the lid portions are in their closed position.
 5. The produce container of claim 3, wherein the receptacle has corners and the platforms are arranged at each corner and are recessed with respect to the rim.
 6. The produce container of claim 4, wherein the receptacle has corners and the platforms are arranged at each corner and are recessed with respect to the rim. 